


The Plans for Next Halloween

by clare_dragonfly



Category: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 23:10:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clare_dragonfly/pseuds/clare_dragonfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oogie Boogie's plan-making is interrupted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Plans for Next Halloween

**Author's Note:**

  * For [billtheradish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/billtheradish/gifts).



There was a knock on the pipes, echoing down through their complex latticework to Oogie Boogie’s underground home. It was the lowest spot in all of Halloweentown, and he liked it that way. “Answer that, will you, Barrel?” Oogie said, lazily stirring his snake and spider stew. It was almost greasy enough.

Barrel scampered off with one last longing glance at the snake and spider stew and started to haul himself up through the pipes. Oogie listened to his grunts, complaints, and squawks of pain with pleasure. There was an easier way to get in and out of his home, of course—he needed to get out there on Halloween night, to get scaring, and there was no way he was bothering with those crazy pipes. But there was a reason he’d created such a crazy pipe system, and no one else knew about the secret entrance.

Oogie heard faint noises from above when Barrel reached the top, but couldn’t quite make out the voices. It didn’t matter, anyway. He knew who it was. Today was November 1st, and therefore it was the mayor, come with the plans for next Halloween. Oogie relished the planning, though not as much as he loved the actual scaring. But it was a fun game, trying to make Halloween scarier and scarier every year.

When the mayor came sliding down the pipes, though, shivering and shaking and grimacing hugely with his white face, he wasn’t alone. Oogie heard a second thump and turned toward a different pipe. While the mayor was still struggling to get back to his feet, Jack Skellington had landed right on his skinny skeleton feet and was already walking toward Oogie.

Oogie laughed. He’d never had another visitor right after Halloween. And he’d never had Jack Skellington come to his house before. But then, why shouldn’t he? The pipes were plenty wide for a bone or three to slide down, and the random bits of jagged metal and screws pointing inward wouldn’t bother Jack unless they ripped right to him.

“Mayor,” Oogie said. “Jack Skellington. What a surprise. Welcome to my home. May I offer you some snake and spider stew?” He ladled some up and slurped it down, partly to show how delicious it was (the spiders had released just the right amount of oil) and partly to show that he wasn’t really bothered by his visitors. If that was what Jack had meant by not announcing himself, he was in for a surprise.

“No, thank you, Oogie,” said Jack pleasantly. “You know I don’t eat. It would be a waste of your fine stew.”

“I just want to start in on the plans,” said the mayor, still looking queasy.

At least Jack was polite enough. “And what can it be that brings you here?” Oogie asked Jack, ignoring the mayor—he was just an elected official, unimportant. “Want a bigger part this year? You know we have an accepted petition method for that.” Oogie loved the lines of people, waiting one by one to slide down his pipes and tear themselves up in hopes of getting a better role or a better location for Halloween.

“Actually, I do,” said Jack, taking two long strides toward Oogie. “But I thought I’d get things started earlier this year, and I didn’t think you wanted me starting this in front of everyone.” His face was very serious now, as though he thought whatever he was talking about was terribly important.

Oogie laughed and slurped some more stew. “All right, then. Speak your piece, skeleton man.”

Jack grinned, his empty eyeholes narrowing. “I want to challenge you, King Oogie Boogie.”

Oogie nearly overturned his pot of stew. “What?” He laughed heartily, waving his tentacles at Jack. “I could thrash you with one arm tied behind my back!”

“We’ll see about that,” said Jack. Now he was pacing, circling Oogie as though he meant to threaten him. Oogie wasn’t threatened; Jack was just walking past all of his favorite traps. If Oogie wanted to defeat him, all he would have to do was spring one of them. But he was interested to hear what Jack had to say.

“And what makes you think you’ll be a better king than me, the scariest monster in the land?” Oogie asked.

“You’re good at scaring, no one doubts that,” said Jack, still pacing. “But scaring isn’t the only thing the king of Halloween has to do. He has to take care of the needs of the people of Halloweentown—otherwise what good are they going to be come scaring time?”

Oogie laughed. “And what have I been doing wrong? Enlighten me.”

“You, Oogie, do not take care of the needs of your people. You’ve left the poor mayor to take their petitions and soothe their grievances more and more over the years, and we all know he’s no good as more than a figurehead.” Jack had reached the mayor—this had to be a planned speech—and rested his hand on the mayor’s shoulder in a paternal manner before he moved on. “The vampires’ house is falling apart, and none of Halloween’s resources have gone to keep them from burning to death before they even awake. There used to be seven of them, Oogie! The swamp is drying out. The clown and the hanging tree are fighting over territory and you haven’t bothered to listen to them, even enough to seize their land, which I know you want to do. In short, King Oogie Boogie, your town is falling apart and you’re not doing a thing about it.” Jack spun on his heel and crossed his arms, facing Oogie.

“That’s not what being king is about,” Oogie said, shaking his head. “The point is that everyone does what you say and they have to beg if they want anything from you. If those people won’t bother to come here and beg, they can deal with their problems on their own.” He knew the clown and the hanging tree probably couldn’t make it down his pipes. So what? They could talk to his trick-or-treaters if they wanted, and the message would get relayed to him. They just wouldn’t bother.

“And that’s exactly why I want to challenge you.”

“Fine. Then let’s have it out.” Oogie shook himself out and puffed himself up, bringing all his best-armored bugs closer to the surface, and downed another spoonful of snake and spider stew for extra strength.

But Jack shook his head. “Scared, Jack?” said Oogie. “I’m not surprised.”

“Of course I’m scared of you,” said Jack. “But this isn’t what I had in mind at all.” He beckoned to the mayor and took one of the scrolls the man carried. “I know how much you like wagers, Oogie, so let’s try this one out.” He unrolled the scroll.

Despite himself, Oogie had to take a look. Jack had mentioned a wager. The scroll was simple; it showed each of them scaring people in a variety of ways, and a grouping of tally marks underneath each. Oogie noticed that Jack had given himself more tally marks.

“A scaring contest,” said Jack. “On Halloween, we’ll each bring an impartial observer with us, and we’ll scare as many people as we can. Whoever gets the most screams is the winner—and the new king of Halloween. What do you say?”

Oogie stared at the scroll. He couldn’t say no. Why would he want to say no? He was far scarier than Jack Skellington. There would be no contest. It was exactly the kind of gamble he loved.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll take the mayor.” He hated change. If Oogie had to cheat—which he wouldn’t—the mayor would be happy to add a few more tally marks in his favor.

Jack nodded and let the scroll roll itself up. “And I was thinking of Dr. Finklestein’s new creation—Sally, I think her name is. She doesn’t know either of us yet, so she’ll be perfectly unbiased.”

“The rag doll? Good enough.” Oogie shrugged and stuck out one arm.

Jack took the end of it in his skeletal hand and shook it firmly. “Good. Then I’ll leave you to plan, and I’ll make some plans of my own. Thank you for bringing me along, mayor. And Oogie…” Jack made his way back to an empty pipe and grabbed the lip, ready to haul himself up. “I’ll see you next Halloween.”


End file.
